Ignition device



j JLGUIS O. FRENCH, F MTLWAKEE, WJISCONSIN.

IEGNIETION EEVICE.

Application filed November 30, 1921. Serial No. 518,929.

To all whom t may concern: v Be it known that l, Louis O. FRENCH, a

`citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the countyof Milwaukee and State of llisconsin, have invented new and usefulImprovements in ignition Devices, oit' lwhich the following is adescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,`which area part of this specification.

` j The invention relates to ignition devices and more particularly to astarting ignition device oi' the incandescent type for use with liquid`fuel injection engines.

One of the objects of this invention is to providean ignition device inwhich the'incandescent element is positioned in a relatively fixedchamber or tube having a passage, communicating with the combustionchamber of the engine, controlled by a valve so situated with relationto the fuel injector that it serves to deflect fuel directed against lit into said fixed chamber and against the incandescent element.

A further object of the invention 1s to provide astarting ignitiondevice provided j `with an electrically heated element with a ciinsulating material.

valve controlling the passage oi gas or fuel to said device and meansfor automatically controlling the flow of current to saidelement on theoperation of said valve.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a view of the ignition device embodying theinvention,

showing it applied to an engine; Fig. 2`is a sectional view through theignition device. In the drawings the numeral 3 designates the shell orbody oit' the plug having a bore i therein. This shell is preferablyformed separate from the cylinder head 5 of the engine and is detachablysecured thereto by bolts 6. i j

A, second shell 7 lits in the outer end of the bore l and isprovidedwith a flanged end 3 receiving bolts 9 `which detachably secure it tothe shell 3, a sealing gasket 10 being interposed between said flangedend and the outer end of the shell 3.

The shell 7 is provided with a central bore 11 and supports a valveguide member 12 which is spaced therefrom by a sleeve 13 This member 12is provided with an inner threaded end 14 and an enlarged outer end 15forming a shoulder 16. Washers 17 of insulating material are interposedbetween the shoulder .16 and the shell l1, and washers 18 of insulatingmaterial are interposed between the shell sition until released.

a and a metal washer 19. A clamping nut 2() on the threaded engl 15,when screwed up, brings the insulating washers into close contactwiththe shell l and the member 12 to seal the joints. Thus the member 12is insulated from but supported in theshell t.

The member 12 is provided with a central bore 21 in which the stem 22oi' a valve `23 works. This valve cooperates with a valve seat 24 in theshell 3 to control the passage of gas or fuel into the chamber 25. Toprevent leakage along the valve stem the `end 15 is provided with anenlarged bore 26 and suitable packing 27 is disposed in the cavityformed thereby and compressed against the valve stem by a gland nut 28.The valve stem 22 is slidably mounted in the bore 21 and a spring 29,interposed between the gland nut 28 and a spring seat member 30, actstoretain the valve in a normally closed position.

`The member 30 is provided with a pad 31 of insulating material adaptedto be engaged by a lever 32 journalled on a shaft 33 carried by abracket 311 mounted on the cylinder head 5 and adapted to be turned byhand or any suitable mechanismv to move the valve against the pressureoi the spring 29 to an open position and retain it in such po- Thechamber 25 is thus placed in communication with a portion 35 ofcombustion chamber oi' the engine when the valve is in open position.

.A heating-element-clamping ring 36 iits tightly in the shell 3, as by ataper iit.` adjacent the valve seat 24, and a clamping nut 37 fits ontothe threaded end 14 of the member 12.

A heating element 38 of material capable of resisting high temperatures,such as chromel, nichrome. or other suitable material, has one endseated in a groove 39 and is pressed into tight contact with the shell 3by said ring and then passes spirally around the valve and its stem andin spaced Vrelation thereto and has its other end secured between thenuts 37 and23. In case said element burns out, it may be readilyreplaced on re moving the ring 36, withdrawing the shell 4f from theshell 3 andloosening the nut 37.

Current from a battery l() is led through conductor 411 to a switchelement Li2 mounted on an insulating block 43 carried by the 30 afterthe valve has been moved oli' its seat, the current then iiovving fromelement 42 to the valve stem and thence to the member l2., nut 37,heating element` 38,'shell 3 to ground and then to the other terminal ofthe battery. The member l2 thus forms an insulated electrode throughwhich the. current passes to the element 2l.y Thus, when the valve 23 ismoved to open position current is supplied to the heating element, whichthen becomes incandescent, and when the valve closes the member 30breaks contact with the element 4t2 before the valve is seated. l

. The ignition device is mounted in the cylinder-head in such a positionas to cause fuel introduced into the combustion chamber of the engine byan injector t to impinge upon the valve when it is in open position, assho-wn in Fig. l, and be deiieoted thereby vinto the chamber25 where itcomes in contact With yair therein, highly heated by the element 2l, andwith said element thereby igniting and gasifying a part of the fuel andthrough its llame propagation igniting the charge. After afeivrevolutions of the engine the cylinder walls become heated so thatif the compression is high enough the valve may be closed, or a hotsurface in the combustion chamber may be relied upon for ignition afterstarting and after the valve 23 has been closed, as Will be readilyunderstood by those skilled in this art.

. l desire it to be understood that this invention is not to be limitedto any specific form or arrangement of parts except in so y far as suchlimitations are specified in the claims.

lVhat l claim as my invention is: 1. In an ignition device, thecombination of a relatively lined-chamber having an open- `ingcommunicating with the combustion chamber of the engine, anelectrically-heated element disposed in said chamber, means forsupplying current to said element, and a valve independent of saidelement for controlling said opening and serving when open to deflectfluel, injected against it, upon said element.

2. In an ignition device, the combination of ay relatively fixed chamberhaving au opening commiinicating` with the combustion chamber of theengine, an electrically-healed element in said chamber, means forsupplying current to said element, a valve, independent of said element,for controlling said opening and serving when open to deflect fuel,injected against it` upon said element. and means operable on themovement of the valve to control the flow of current to said element.

3. In an ignition device, the combination of a chamber having anVopening communicating with the combustion chamber of the engine, of anelectrically-heated element in said chamber, means for supplying currentto said element. an outwardly opening spring-returned-valve and li'ueldeflector controlling said op xning and when open dellecting fuel uponsaid element, and means for moving said valve to open position.

et. In an ignition device, the combination with a cyindrical shell, of avalve guide member within and concentric with said shell and insulatedtherefrom and provided with a central bore, said shell having a valveseat portion, a valve having its stem mounted in said member andcooperating with said valve seat portion, an electricallyheated elementsecured to said `guide member and to said shell and spaced from saidvalve within the chamber formed by said shell, and means for operatingsaid valve, said valve forming a fuel cleector to direct fuel upon saidelement.

.ln an ignition device, the combination of a relatively fixed chamberhaving an opening communieating` with the combustion chamber of theengine, an electrically-heated element in said chamber, means forsupplying current to said element, a valve,v independent of saidelement, for controlling said opening` and serving when open to dellectfuel, injected against it, upon, said elementi` a switch member, andmeans moved by said valve for engaging said switch member to establishcurrent flow through said element on the opening of said valve.

ln testimony whereof, I allix my signature.

- LOUIS (l. FRENCH.

